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Well, what can I say about 2016 that hasn't already been expressed by others? It sucks. A team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations (Not the lame cliche, "Our goal is win the Super Bowl" bs. I mean REAL Super Bowl aspirations), eliminated from playoff contention with a month left to go in the season. Many on twitter and other Cardinals sites believe this to be aberration, just one small slip off the track for an otherwise powerful locomotive. "Tyrann will be back and everything will be fine" I've heard. "Jared Veldheer is hurt and that's why our line stinks" others have proclaimed. I myself have delved into the issues at length, both short and long term and what I've found is the polar opposite of minor issues rectified by a small number of individual players. What I have found is far more sinister. I'm planning a five part series as to why the future of the Arizona Cardinals is bleak at best. Today, we begin with reason number five.

The Future Isn't Bright Reason Number Five: The Regression of Michael Floyd

Explanation
What a difference a year makes. A calendar year removed from posting career highs in catches, yards and touchdowns with flashes of complete dominance down the stretch in big games against great teams, Floyd (27) was expected to finally take the leap into semi-stardom after five years as a pro. Instead, the wheels of progress have ground to a halt. On pace for career lows in catches and yards and a career high in drops, Floyd is but an afterthought offensively, playing just 67% of the offensive snaps with a staggering 46% catch rate, third lowest among active starters. The once hopeful heir apparent to the legend Larry Fitzgerald, Floyd, an unrestricted free agent this offseason, may not even don a Cardinal jersey in 2017. With John Brown suffering through inconsistencies and health issues, Jaron Brown recovering from a torn ACL and JJ Nelson possessing little more ability than that of a gimmick player, the Cardinals receiving core has gone from solid strength to extreme weakness, just like that. Inexplicable as the idea sounded six months ago, the Cardinals may be forced to once again pour valuable draft resources into the wide receiver position, ignoring other crucial areas of need. A truly troubling thought indeed for a team so void of talent. Reason number five that the future isn't bright, the regression of Michael Floyd.

***EDIT***

To further this argument, Floyd was arrested early this morning in Scottsdale on a charge of driving under the influence.

***EDIT***

The Arizona Cardinals have officially released Michael Floyd.

Last edited by stchamp98 on Wed Dec 14, 2016 6:15 pm; edited 2 times in total

Can we just please cater to the talent that we do have? IE we have one of the best running backs in the game, can we please just cater the offense to his style then add a dink and dunk passing attack? Honestly I don't think that the problems on this team are that hard to fix, theres just one very proud man standing in the way, Bruce Arians.

Yes it doesn't help that the corner opposite PP is garbage, but outside of that, are there really any glaring holes on this defense? We've given up the second fewest yards per game, that is worth mentioning.

Palmer should retire after this year, there is nothing left in that chicken wing of his. I've been studying on my QBs for this years draft and there's a couple I could see us being interested in

Veldheer is hurt, Iupati has battled injuries, Shipley isn't really good, but I don't think hes a liability either, Evan Mathis is hurt, Humphries has been meh. Watford has disappointed. Our line is just a hot mess this year really and it's hard for me to blame anyone with all the injuries we have had to battle.

I do not know what happened to Michael Floyd's hands this year. They just went away. I can't decide if I wanna give him a prove it contract next year or not. This DUI certainly doesn't help.

I pray Larry does not retire but fear he does. Especially if Palmer were to retire.

Honestly defensively, I just don't know what to say. Chandler Jones and Markus Golden have been terrific. Bucanon hasn't had the year I wanted, but Tony Jefferson has stepped up to help mask that. The defensive line has been fine, Calais especially has once again been a monster. The secondary has a hole or two, but we still have allowed the second fewest passing in the league this year. I do not understand it.

And the most disgusting of them all has been special teams. Kickoff coverage, punt coverage, holding, snapping, kicking, its all been pitiful. Bruce adamantly defends Amos Jones, but I'm sorry something has to give here. Put pride aside please and issue some accountability somewhere.

Thats been what has driven me crazy, I haven't seen any accountability ANYWHERE. This was a super bowl favorite at the start of the year, you cannot tell me that this team doesn't have the talent for a run either. It's infuriating what has happened this year and I will very bluntly put all of the blame on Bruce. I know from following you on twitter champ you have put much of the blame on Keim, and there is merit there as well. But I still think that there is enough talent on this roster to where we should have been fine with just Marcus Cooper at corner. The inexcusable that Keim has done, is largely fueled by Bruce IMO. And by this I am indetifying the handling of rookies is just horendous. Bruce even now is still sticking to his "We have to win" rhetoric when there would be no better time than now to give some of the young guys (Nkemdiche) some reps at the highest level.

I swear to god though, every time we run a 3rd and short in the shotgun with an empty set, I die a little on the inside. I firmly believe that Arians's playcalling this year has been asinine at best.

In the end, I am so frustrated with Arians you could not even believe_________________
#JDI

Well I can't wait to see what your other 4 reason are going to be. I have my thought on why the future of this team is looking down. Will be interesting to see if he problem I see are going to line up with the ones you are seeing.

The idea of Arizona drafting a WR earlier really sucks but it has to be done. Neither of the Browns or Nelson can replace Larry. If John Brown was taller around 6'2 then he could have been a replacement when healthy but he to short to fill Larry roll.

How ya been man, long time no talk? I agree 110%, the idea of drafting a WR in the top 50 makes me want to vomit but the fact is, the BA offense cannot and will not function without the vertical and playaction pass games. It won't, it's impossible. We don't have consistency from the WR group we have now to accomplish this and we don't have the cap resources to buy that player on the open market. We really don't have much of a choice but to strongly consider it.

Iowa-

I'm going to try and do one a day to spark conversation. This board needs a spark and I plan to try and add one.

I been here for the most part. I normally check in after a game to see what being said here. I moved out of Arizona and to Oregon with that and working almost every Sunday for 2 year it made it hard to watch games without paying a lot of money to watch them.

My problem with all the WR he has draft are small and fast. I dont have a problem with that but you can't have a team full of them. If Arizona does draft another WR in the top of the draft im Scared it going to be another short small wr who can be easily jammed at the line of scrimmage. A Taller WR who not super fast but can win jump balls is what Arizona needs.

Explanation
Anyone with any hint of intelligence would have understood that March 15, 2016 changed the outlook for the Arizona Cardinals 2016 NFL Draft, for March 15, 2016 was the day we agreed to forego the 61st overall pick to acquire OLB Chandler Jones. A worthy proposition indeed but from the perspective of the every day Cardinals draft fan, it put us behind the eight ball. With only 6 picks to work with and a draft slot in the far end of the back half, we were really gonna have to put our paws to the pavement to get value where others couldn't/wouldn't. Early evaluations are often foolish one's but from that view point, it is awfully clear that we have failed. Only 5 of those original 6 selected players remain after the release of 5th round (Pick 167) selection, S Marqui Christian and a 2nd, CB Harlan Miller, clings to a thread on the team's practice squad (Despite a myriad of injuries to our defensive back end). First round selection Robert Nkemdiche, the uber-talent with the hot-cold motor has made no tangible progress, failing to don a jersey on game days while drawing frequent work ethic criticism from coaches. The only immediate avenue for significant playing time for the kid who can't seem to show up to practice on time (Little unknown tidbit for ya...) revolves around the future's of UFAs Calais Campbell and Frostee Rucker, two of the best players this roster holds. CB Brandon Williams was a raw talent with only long term projectability when we reached for him at pick 92, the return on that investment is years away (Assuming that day ever comes. See: Bethel, Justin). 4th round Missouri product Evan Boehm was supposed to push journeyman AQ Shipley back to his rightful area along the sidelines but the unlovable Arians' favorite is still entrenched at the pivot with no end in sight. Add in 5th round Harvard project OT Cole Toner and that....is....it. The entirety of the 2016 Arizona Cardinals Draft class, in all of it's splendor. The business environment of the National Football League heaps short and long term rewards on the team's who annually win the NFL Draft and why wouldn't it? It's simple economics. You can't buy enough players under the salary cap to replace the one's you miss on in May. The only guarantee of short and long term success in this league is the presence of a franchise quarterback and a strong, deep, cost controlled roster. You can not achieve either if you essentially punt an entire draft year. In his best Drew Butler impression, it appears for now that Steve Keim has shanked this one. Reason number four that the future isn't bright, the 2016 NFL Draft Class.